Health protection in Canada under threat,
says expert witness in Charter challenge on prescription drug advertising

Toronto - An expert witness in the Charter challenge case on prescription drug
advertising between Canwest Mediaworks Inc. and the Attorney General of Canada
is speaking out about the case and the potential threat it poses to drug safety
and public health care in Canada. 

Dr. John Abramson, Harvard Medical School clinical instructor and author of
"Overdosed America: The Broken Promise of American Medicine" is the expert
witness representing a broad coalition of unions and citizen groups in Canada
that was granted intervener status in the court challenge. His presentation
"Drug ads: Is corporate free speech more important than your health?" will be
part of a public event at the University of Toronto on Tuesday, March 4, 2008. 

"This Charter challenge marks a critically important crossroad for the Canadian
people--whether greater priority will be given to maximizing corporate free
speech or optimizing Canadians' health and containing their health care costs,"
says Dr. Abramson. "The drug industry now produces most of the medical science
that informs doctors' decisions. Their fundamental responsibility is not to the
public's health, but to their shareholder's wealth."

CanWest Mediaworks mounted the Charter challenge to the statutory prohibition on
direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in 2005 on the basis
that the current regulations on DTCA in Canada infringe on the company's right
to freedom of expression. The case will be argued before the Superior Court of
Ontario in June 2008. On behalf of the coalition, Dr. Abramson has presented
evidence on the particular impact of DTCA on women. 

"There are lessons to be learned from the United States where DTCA's fundamental
purpose is already being realized: to increase revenues from drug sales often at
considerable risk to consumer health and well-being," says Dr. Abramson

Members of the coalition represented by Dr. Abramson include the Canadian
Federation of Nurses Unions, Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian
Health Coalition, Women and Health Protection, the Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers Union of Canada, the Society for Diabetic Rights, the Medical
Reform Group and Terence Young. Lawyer, Steven Shrybman with the law firm,
Sack, Goldblatt, Mitchell is providing legal representation for the coalition. 

Dr. Abramson will present "Drug ads: Is corporate free speech more important
than your health?" on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Hart House Theatre,
7 Hart House Circle at the University of Toronto. The public is welcome to
attend. 

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Contacts:

Anne Rochon Ford, Women and Health Protection, 416-712-9459  <www.whp.apsf.ca>

Ellen Reynolds, Canadian Women's Health Network, 250-208-4889



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